Sun music picks: George Clinton

Godfather of funk gets down at Cabooze. Plus: Inti-Illimani and los llaneros.

May 14, 2015 at 10:10PM
FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2009 file photo, American singer, songwriter and music producer George Clinton performs with the funk, soul and rock music collective Parliament-Funkadelic on stage at the Avo Session in Basel, Switzerland. Clinton and the Black Eyed Peas have settled a lawsuit in which the funk pioneer accused the pop group of improperly sampling his music. (AP Photo/Keystone, Georgios Kefalas, File) ORG XMIT: LA106
George Clinton (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic

9:30 p.m. • Cabooze • 18-plus • sold out

A recent Rolling Stone profile of Clinton indicated that the godfather of funk has made a few changes. He's eliminated the dreadlocks, crazy clothes and crack habit. He's cut the size of his band and taken to wearing stylish suits. But he's just as freaky funky as ever, as demonstrated on last year's "First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate" — the first Funkadelic album since 1981 — and he's just as crazy as ever, as evidenced in his 2014 autobiography, "Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain't That Funkin' Kinda Hard on You?" Jon Bream

Inti-Illimani and los llaneros

7:30 p.m. • Cedar Cultural Center • $25-$30

Renowned for fostering South America's nueva canción ("new song") movement, the Chilean octet Inti-Illimani has been together nearly 50 years. Among those inspired by the group's indigenous music and progressive politics was Colombian vocalist Karin Stein, founder of the trio Los Llaneros. The two bands will perform separately and together in a concert to benefit the Sol del Illimani school in a vulnerable neighborhood of Santiago, Chile. Students from Blake School will pitch in on panpipes to back the rich vocal harmonies and flute and violin work of Inti-Illimani, and provide vocal support for the gorgeous harp and cuatro picking at the heart of Los Llaneros' "cowboy music" from the savannas of Colombia and Venezuela. Britt Robson

Ensiferum and Korpiklaani

7:30 p.m. • Mill City Nights • 18-plus • $22-$25

Hold onto your swords, Viking-metal fans: Two Finnish favorites are galloping into town on a co-headlining tour. After jumping ship from its longtime label home, Ensiferum unsheathed its first album for Metal Blade Records this year. "One Man Army" ratchets up the sextet's mead-hoisting tavern singalongs and rolling double bass drums. With fiddles and accordions blazing, folk-metalers Korpiklaani dropped their ninth album (not counting their days as Shaman) last week. Armed with his gruff wail, frontman Jonne Jarvela leads a charge fit for headbanging or folk dancing. Trollfest opens. Michael Rietmulder

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